ABC Sports/ESPN big Mark Shapiro announced yesterday that he will leave the company Oct. 1.

As reported exclusively by The Post last Thursday, Shapiro will leave his post as ESPN’s executive vice president of programming and production to become the CEO of Red Zone, LLC, a Daniel Snyder-owned private investment company that is focused on a range of entertainment properties.

Though terms of the deal were not disclosed, Snyder, who owns the Washington Redskins, is believed to have offered Shapiro a multimillion dollar deal to bolt the Disney-owned network.

Sources say that Snyder, who is a minority shareholder of amusement park operator Six Flags, Inc., wants to take full control of Six Flags and start a production company.

Shapiro, 35, joined ESPN in 1993 as a production assistant before earning his current title eight years later.

He is credited with transforming the network from solely a sports one to the more entertainment based creation it is today. This spring, he helped bring “Monday Night Football” to ESPN in an $8.8 billion deal.

“Mark has made many significant contributions to ESPN’s growth during his 12-year tenure and we have benefited greatly from his talent and creativity,” George Bodenheimer, President, ESPN, Inc. and ABC Sports and Co-chairman, Disney Media Networks said in a statement.

“On a personal level, I will miss Mark’s day-to-day counsel and his undying commitment to ESPN. We wish him all the best.”